Yin Realm Mandala of Fragmentation

I was late getting around to my Stage Eleven mandala for this year’s Mandala Magic program and I wasn’t sure what I would do when I sat down to get to it. This month sees us work with the archetypal force that is fragmentation – a time when everything can appear so dark and hopeless as we navigate unknown realms.

By the time we reach November, we’re back in the yin realms of the dark, chaotic unconscious. The dark isn’t usually a state to be fearful of, but in this stage of fragmentation we can find ourselves full of despair if we remain unconscious of what’s going on.

This is the work we do in the program – to build the structure for a healthy psyche to function, even when all around us seems to be falling apart! The mandalas we create reflect the stage we’re exploring and help us work through the process. They often reveal such insight that we’d never reach if we were simply to write, talk or think about it in a logical fashion.

I adapted one of the exercises from Mandala Magic to work with my external reality, and the relief I found in the making of it was deep. No pressure to create a beautiful image. No pressure to use any tools other than my hands and some glue!

The making of mandala does not always require a compass and an intricate pattern. Therein lies its beauty and its magnificent capacity to work with us to deliver what we need in the moment.

It amazes me that I continue to be so inspired by and grateful to the mandala in all its forms and for everything it has to offer me.